EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Police documents describe how investigators allegedly saw a surveillance video that shows a “coke baggie” fall from the pocket of an El Paso juvenile detention officer while working inside the jail.
According to the arrest affidavit, investigators watched surveillance footage where they said the suspect, 49-year-old Jacob Montes, can be reportedly seen walking down a hallway when a clear baggie with white powder falls from his left pocket and lands on the floor.
In the affidavit, investigators said that even though the suspect’s back is towards the camera, they believe it’s Montes because of a “very distinct backpack with a Michael Jordan logo.”
Furthermore, investigators said that a second camera shows the suspect’s face and alleged that it clearly shows it’s Montes.
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Montes was arrested on Thursday and booked into the El Paso County Downtown jail, where he was charged with a prohibited item in a correctional facility and bond was set at $5,000.
According to jail records, Montes was released the same day after posting bond.
The investigation started after someone found the baggie with cocaine on the floor of a secure area of the juvenile jail.
Following Montes’ arrest, the Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Rosie Medina said that Montes had been fired, per the department’s “zero-tolerance policy.”
“I can confirm that the individual referenced was an employee of our agency at the time of the incident. Upon investigating the matter, Mr. Montes was arrested and immediately terminated. The safety and well-being of the youth in our care and that of our staff is our highest priority. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for illegal activity and conduct that compromises the integrity of our facilities. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement in their ongoing investigation,” Medina said.
The El Paso Juvenile Detention Center is located at 6400 Delta Dr., near Ascarate Park in South Central El Paso.
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